1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to techniques for image-processing. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to a method and apparatus for managing image-processing operations.
2. Related Art
Dramatic advances in computing technology have made it possible for computer systems to efficiently perform image-processing operations on large digital images. Such image-processing operations can involve: converting images from one file format to another, transforming images, or otherwise modifying the images. For example, an image can be converted from a frame of video encoded in an initial color space into a cropped and reduced-size still image encoded in a different color space.
Unfortunately, developers who want to process images often have to use a number of different graphics technologies (i.e., low-level image processing software) to perform the specific operations which are required to complete a given image-processing task. In the example described above, the developer may have to use one graphics technology to extract a frame from a video to produce a still image, while another graphics technology is used to convert the image between color spaces, and yet another graphics technology is used to transform the image.
Some developers have developed graphics technologies that provide large numbers of image-processing features so that developers are not forced to use multiple graphics technologies to perform a given image-processing task. These graphics technologies often perform certain types of image-processing operations well, but cannot perform other types of image-processing tasks because they do not support all the necessary operations. Furthermore, graphics technologies from different developers typically do not share a common interface. Hence, it can be difficult to automate image-processing tasks which require more than one graphics technology.
Another difficulty with using these graphics technologies relates to the promulgation of new image representation types and/or image-processing steps. If a developer wants to perform an operation that was not available when a graphics technology was released or if the developer wants to perform an existing operation on a new image representation type, the developer can be forced to rely on multiple graphics technologies.
Hence, what is needed is a system that provides mechanisms for processing images without the above-described problems.